~
      NEWS
      &
      FEATURES
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Island’s
      forgotten
      black
      history
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      among
      last
      remnants
      of
      Island
      racial
      community
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      REBECCA
      MOORE
     
    

    
     
      THERE
      ARE
      A
      NUMBER
      OF
      BLACK
     
     
      students
      here
      at
      U.P.E.I..
      In
      fact,
      it’s
      probably
     
     
      the
      largest
      black
      community
      in
      the
      province,
     
     
      though
      most
      of
      them
      are
      not
      native
      to
      the
     
     
      Island.
      The
      black
      population
      on
      P.E.I.
      has
     
     
      decreased
      considerably
      since
      the
      late
      1800's.
     
    

    
     
      It
      wasn’t
      until
      the
      early
      1800's,
      when
     
     
      slavery
      was
      abolished,
      that
      a
      black
      community
     
     
      was
      established
      in
      Charlottetown.
      This
      is
     
     
      where
      the
      majority
      of
      black
      Islanders
      once
     
     
      lived.
      The
      district,
      known
      as
      “the
      Bog”
      in
      West
     
     
      Charlottetown,
      ranged
      from
      Euston
      Street
      to
     
     
      Richmond
      Street,
      and
      from
      Government
      Pond
     
     
      to
      Pownal
      Street.
      Most
      people
      would
      recognize
     
     
      this
      area
      today
      by
      the
      large,
      grey
      government
     
    
   
   
    
     
      buildings
      near
      the
      entrance
      to
      Victoria
      Park.
     
    

    
     
      Even
      after
      Blacks
      were
      released
      from
     
     
      slavery,
      they
      were
      expected
      to
      take
      work
      of
     
     
      low
      status.
      This
      led
      to
      poverty,
      crime,
     
     
      bootlegging
      and
      prostitution
      in
      the
      Bog.
     
     
      Unfortunately,
      the
      community
      was
      often
     
     
      ignored.
     
    

    
     
      Around
      the
      turn
      of
      the
      century
      the
     
     
      reputation
      of
      “the
      Bog”
      started
      to
      turnaround--
     
     
      partly
      because
      of
      reconstruction,
      and
      also
     
     
      because
      of
      a
      dedicated
      teacher
      at
      the
      Bog
     
    
   
   
    
     
      school:
      Miss
      Harvie,
      the
      daughter
      of
      a
      local.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      jailer,
      taught
      over
      two
      thousand
      pupils
      during
     
     
      her
      career.
      Many
      people
      believe
      she
      had
      a
     
     
      positive
      influence
      on
      the
      community.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Bog
      boasted
      strong
      athletes
      such
      as
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Be
      it
      resolved
      that...
     
     
      The
      UPEI
      debating
      society
      visits
      Halifax
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      BY
      YVONNE
      MACKEAN
     
    

    
     
      DURING
      THE
      WEEKEND
      OF
      FEBRUARY
      4-
     
     
      6,
      the
      UPE!
      Debating
      Society
      participated
      in
     
     
      the
      1994
      North
      American
      Debating
     
     
      Championships.
      Dalhousie
      University
      and
     
     
      King’s
      College
      hosted
      this
      year’s
      event.
     
     
      Representing
      UPEI
      were
      three
      teams
      (Edward
     
     
      lank
      and
      Janice
      Enman,
      Andrew
      MacPherson
     
     
      and
      Garry
      MacDonald,
      Patricia
      Embleton
      and
     
     
      Yvonne
      MacKean)
      and
      five
      judges
      (Amber
     
     
      Allin,
      Eric
      Chase,
      Ron
      MacDonald,
      Cory
      Mosher
     
     
      and
      David
      Saunders).
     
    

    
     
      Also
      in
      attendance
      at
      this
      tournament
     
     
      Were
      some
      of
      the
      strongest
      debating
      clubs
      in
     
     
      North
      America.
      These
      participants
      included
     
     
      University
      of
      Toronto,
      Princeton,
      McGill,
     
     
      Guelph,
      Concordia,
      Western,
      Queen’s,
     
     
      aterloo,
      Bates
      College,
      Smith
      College,
      and
     
     
      Olgate,
      plus
      Atlantic
      teams
      representing
     
     
      Ount
      Allison,
      St.
      FX
      ,
      UCCB,
      Acadia,
      St.
     
     
      omas,
      and
      Memorial.
      In
      total
      there
      were
     
     
      xty-five
      teams
      who
      debated
      at
      the
      tournament.
     
    

    
     
      The
      UPEI
      gang
      rolled
      into
      Halifax
      Thursday
     
     
      Yening.
      On
      Friday
      we
      found
      our
     
     
      ‘commodations
      and
      began
      debating.
      There
     
     
      &re
      two
      rounds
      of
      debating
      before
      the
      Pub
     
     
      "awl.
      Reliable
      sources
      say
      that
      the
      bar
      scene
     
    

    
     
      8
      great--
      of
      course,
      this
      writer
      would
      know
     
     
      thing
      about
      that
      adventure.
     
    

    
     
      __
      Bright
      and
      early
      Saturday
      morning
      (too
     
     
      "ght
      for
      some),
      it
      was
      back
      to
      debating.
     
    

    
     
      ‘re
      Were
      also
      some
      public
      speaking
      rounds,
     
     
      “tno
      one
      from
      UPEI
      participated
      in
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
          
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      event.
      By
      seven
      o'clock,
      after
      three
      rounds
      of
     
     
      debating,
      everyone
      was
      quite
      tired.
      A
      banquet
     
     
      was
      then
      held.
      The
      service
      and
      food
      were
     
     
      fabulous.
      Afterwards,
      there
      wasa
      party.
      It
      can
     
     
      be
      safely
      said
      that
      all
      debaters
      and
      judges
      had
     
     
      a
      good
      time.
     
    

    
     
      Sunday
      heralded
      the
      sixth
      round
      of
      debating
     
     
      and
      the
      final
      rounds.
      The
      final
      pitted
      Princeton
     
     
      against
      Hart
      House
      (University
      of
      Toronto).
     
     
      Hart
      House
      defeated
      Princeton
      and
      were
     
     
      crowned
      champions.
      One
      of
      UPEI’s
      teams,
     
     
      Edward
      Lank
      and
      Janice
      Enman,
      finished
      twenty-
     
     
      third
      overall
      with
      a
      record
      of
      4-2.
      This
      team
     
     
      was
      also
      the
      top
      Atlantic
      team,
      and
      Edward
     
     
      Lank
      ledall
      Atlantic
      debaters
      in
      Speaker
      Points.
     
    

    
     
      As
      a
      reminder
      of
      the
      Tournament,
      UPEI
     
     
      has
      an
      official,
      but
      empty,
      North
      American
     
     
      1994
      Debating
      Tournament
      wine
      bottle.
      The
     
     
      Debating
      Society
      is
      also
      in
      the
      midst
      of
      finding
     
     
      sufficient
      funds
      to
      senda
      team
      to
      the
      Nationals
     
     
      in
      Toronto.
     
    

    
     
      Congratulations
      must
      be
      extended
      to
     
     
      Edward
      Lank
      for
      his
      “timely”
      presence
      in
      the
     
     
      semi-final
      round.
      Itis
      also
      important
      to
      mention
     
     
      that
      Andrew
      MacPherson,
      out
      of
      devotion
      to
     
     
      the
      Student
      Union,
      had
      to
      leave
      early
      on
     
     
      Sunday
      (thereby
      missing
      the
      final
      round).
     
     
      Debatersare
      dutiful
      people.
      The
      trip
      to
      Halifax
     
     
      left
      memories
      of
      great
      debating,
      unbelievable
     
     
      speakers,
      sleep
      deprivation,
      partying
      and
      an
     
     
      ever-present
      map
      in
      the
      minds
      of
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      contingent.
      Congratulations
      once
      again
      to
      all
     
     
      debaters
      and
      judges!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      George
      Godfrey
      (“Old
      Chocolate”),
      and
     
     
      George
      “Budge”
      Byers.
      These
      boxers
     
     
      emigrated
      to
      the
      U.S.
      and
      enjoyed
      successful
     
     
      careers
      that
      would
      have
      never
      been
      possible
     
     
      here
      on
      P.E.I.
     
    

    
     
      The
      isolated
      black
     
     
      community
      had
      a
      strong
     
     
      sense
      of
      togetherness.
     
     
      There
      are
      few
      records
     
     
      of
      everyday
      life,
      but
      we
     
     
      know
      of
      their
     
     
      involvement
      in
      sporting
     
     
      activities,
      the
      West
      End
     
     
      School,
      and
      the
      West
      End
     
     
      Brass
      Band.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Bog
      disappeared
      in
      the
      early
      twentieth
     
     
      century.
      Emigration,
      redevelopment
      and
     
     
      assimilation
      were
      a
      few
      of
      the
      causes.
     
    

    
     
      Blacks
      are
      no
      longer
      segregated
      on
      the
     
     
      Island,
      but
      there
      are
      not
      many
      living
      in
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      Even
      after
      Blacks
     
    

    
     
      were
      released
      from
     
     
      slavery,
      they
      were
     
     
      expected
      to
      take
     
    

    
     
      work
      of
      low
      status.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      predominately
      white
      province.
      Why?
      Perhaps
     
     
      for
      the
      same
      reasons
      that
      the
      majority
      of
     
     
      blacks
      left.
      As
      Frank
      Deedmeyer,
      the
      United
     
     
      States
      consul
      in
      Charlottetown,
      said
      in
      1907,
     
     
      ““-we
      do
      not
      find
      any
     
     
      white
      people
      who
      are
     
     
      labouring
      to
      bring
      about
     
     
      social
      equality
      between
     
     
      the
      two
      races.”
     
    

    
     
      Do
      blacks
      feel
     
     
      isolated
      in
      1994
      on
      PEI?
     
     
      As
      a
      white
      person
      |
      will
     
     
      never
      really
      know.
      |
      can
     
     
      only
      trust
      that
      our
      society
     
     
      has
      improved
      since
      the
     
     
      beginning
      of
      the
      century,
      and
      that
      we
      can
     
     
      accept
      everyone
      as
      equals
      with
      love
      in
      our
     
     
      hearts.
     
    

    
     
      SOURCE:
      Black
      Islanders
     
     
      by
      Jim
      Hornby
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      <4
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Read
      j/owae-.
     
     
      At
      Razzy's
      Road
      House
     
    
   
   
    
     
      EVERY
      TUESDAY
      [S
      SPECIAL!
     
     
      Tuesdays
      from
      llam-Midnight,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      when
      you
      eat
      at
      Razzy’s,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      RAZZY'S
      EATS
      THE
      TAXES!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Upon
      presentation
      of
      a
      student
      I.D.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      offer
      does
      not
      apply
      to
      any
     
     
      other
      offer
      or
      specials.
     
     
      Our
      Daily
      Specials
      are:
     
    

    
     
      Mon:
      Monstrous
      Hot
      Hamburger....$4.95
     
     
      Tues:
      Chicken
      Fingers
      Platter...$4.95
     
     
      Wed:
      Steak
      Sandwich
      Platter.....$4.95
     
     
      Thur:
      Chicken
      Breast
      Platter....$5.25
     
    

    
     
      Fri:
      Fish
      &
      Chip................$5.95
     
     
      Sat:
      6o0z.
      Steak
      &
      Fries.........$5.95
     
     
      Sun:
      Monstrous
      Hot
      Turkey.......$4.95
     
    
   
   
    
     
      All
      specials
      inchude
      a
     
     
      small
      beverage.
     
     
      Prices
      subject
      to
      change.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sherwood
      Shopping
      Center
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Soe’
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      i
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [”
      x.press
      february
      fifteenth
      1994
      page
      3
      |